The present invention relates generally to the field of components such as panels or other structures for use in vehicles (e.g., automobiles such as cars, trucks, and the like; airplanes, boats, etc.) and methods of making such components. More specifically, the present invention relates to interior panels or structures for vehicles or other applications that include at least one relatively soft (e.g., padded or cushioned) portion.
Padded or cushioned vehicle interior components such as panels (e.g., instrument panels, door panels, etc.) conventionally include a substrate made of a relatively rigid material, a relatively soft core (e.g., a foam core), and an outer surface or skin. For example, a vehicle door panel may be cushioned to provide added comfort for an occupant of a vehicle when a portion of the occupant's body interfaces or contacts the door panel. Various methods of providing such cushioning are known in the art, although such known methods do not provide certain advantageous features and/or combination of features.
For example, one difficulty in producing panels having cushioned portions is that it may be difficult to optimize the location of the cushioned portions such that the cushioned portions are provided only in areas that are directly interfaced (e.g., contacted) by an individual. For example, certain areas of vehicle interior trim panels are not contacted by passengers such as locations on a door panel proximate the floor of the vehicle. There may be little or no reason to provide cushioned portions of the door panel in such regions. Further, providing cushioned portions or regions in areas where there is no requirement to do so adds unnecessary expense (i.e., material, labor, and equipment) and may also add excess weight to the vehicle.
To provide localized cushioned portions for interior vehicle components, one known method involves coupling a cushioned component to a rigid component. For example, a relatively rigid panel (e.g., a door panel) may have coupled thereto a component that includes a relatively rigid substrate, a relatively soft skin, and a foam interior portion. One difficulty with such a method is that such method requires the use of additional components (e.g., an additional substrate, bolts or other fastening devices to secure the panel substrate to the substrate of the cushioned portion, etc.), which adds both weight and expense to the finished product.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a method for producing components such as panels or other structures for use in vehicles that includes a relatively soft or padded portion or section. There is also a need to provide components that have regions of localized cushioning that are optimized based on the location likely to be interfaced by a vehicle occupant or other individual. There is also a need to provide a component that has regions of localized cushioning that has a decreased mass and requires less material than conventional components having cushioned regions. There is also a need to provide an integrally formed vehicle component that includes localized regions of cushioning. There is also a need to provide components and a method for making components that may be manufactured in a relatively simple and efficient manner with reduced manufacturing and material costs. There is also a need to provide a manufacturing method for producing components having one or more cushioned portions that utilizes existing equipment.